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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

NY Times: Kepner: With Their Hitters Digging in, Yankees Push for the Playoffs

The Yankees have quietly gained two games on the Red Sox in the American League wild-card standings since the morning of Aug. 16, before they began their mini-surge. They are five games behind Boston for the wild card, and also trailed Minnesota by four games early Monday.

The Yankees have no more games with the Twins, but they have six with Boston and four with the Chicago White Sox, who led the Twins by a half-game in the A.L. Central at the start of play Monday.

“That’s one nice thing is we do control our own destiny,” Jason Giambi said. “We play the teams that are ahead of us, which is sometimes rare in this game. We’ve definitely got to take advantage of that.”

If this team can make the playoffs with this rotation, Barack Obama can win Utah.

Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot Posted: August 26, 2008 at 10:47 AM | 25 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. joker24 Posted: August 26, 2008 at 12:07 PM (#2916226)

I'm going to cry if the Yankees still make the playoffs.

2. Davo Malvolio Posted: August 26, 2008 at 12:50 PM (#2916243)

I'm quietly rooting for a Minnesota, Chicago, Tampa, LA playoff, myself. Then I'll win my 10 gazillion to 1 bet that neither the Yanks nor Red Sox would make the postseason.

3. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: August 26, 2008 at 12:52 PM (#2916246)

And the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
Is just a freight train coming your way

4. Big Train Posted: August 26, 2008 at 01:09 PM (#2916259)

They aren't going to make the playoffs.

5. McCoy Posted: August 26, 2008 at 01:28 PM (#2916265)

I'm rooting for a TB-Min ALCS. And if the Cubs get knocked out in the first round then I'm hoping for a MIL-ARI NLCS. Then a TB-MIL world series, a few TV execs will probably slash their wrists if this happens.

6. DKDC Posted: August 26, 2008 at 01:33 PM (#2916270)

They aren't going to make the playoffs.

Then I hope they get really, really close to making the playoffs and blow it on the last game of the season.

7. Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot

Posted: August 26, 2008 at 01:35 PM (#2916271)

Then a TB-MIL world series, a few TV execs will probably slash their wrists if this happens.

That is a rather pleasant thought, especially if combined with a nice Florida monsoon and an early Wisconsin snowstorm.

8. TerpNats Posted: August 26, 2008 at 03:28 PM (#2916386)

It's funny that only now am I beginning to hear talk about the Red Sox being involved in a wild-card race, as if the berth was theirs a fait accompli were they not to catch the Rays. In a perverse way, the White Sox-Twins race may backfire on Boston, as both teams are egging each other on and they could well pass the Bosox.

9. Bunny Vincennes Posted: August 26, 2008 at 03:48 PM (#2916409)

That is a rather pleasant thought, especially if combined with a nice Florida monsoon and an early Wisconsin snowstorm.

Um, don't they both play in domes?

10. meatwad Posted: August 26, 2008 at 03:53 PM (#2916412)

this is a good year for MLB, every major market is involved in playoff races with a chance to get new york, chicago and la all in the playoffs plus the rays throwing a kink in things to make it fun

11. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 26, 2008 at 03:58 PM (#2916419)

The only way the Yankees can make the playoffs is if David Stern suddenly becomes MLB Commissioner.

12. andrewberg Posted: August 26, 2008 at 04:19 PM (#2916443)

It's funny that only now am I beginning to hear talk about the Red Sox being involved in a wild-card race, as if the berth was theirs a fait accompli were they not to catch the Rays. In a perverse way, the White Sox-Twins race may backfire on Boston, as both teams are egging each other on and they could well pass the Bosox.

Yeah, especially with the newly hyper-powered AL Central arms race. First, the White Sox go out and get 53 year old Ken Griffey, then they wait until the Twins pass them in the standings to acquire Horacio Ramirez on a waiver claim from KC. In retaliation, the Twins act decisively to grab Every-other-day Eddie Guardado from the Rangers and really outdo themselves by DFA'ing Mike Lamb. These guys are playing for keeps; I'm almost afraid of what might come next. A September callup of Danny Graves?

13. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 26, 2008 at 04:22 PM (#2916450)

It is kinda amazing what the Twins have done, considering how they were ridiculed (and rightly so) for some of their offseason moves. Livan Hernandez, Craig Monroe and Mike Lamb have all been a waste of time and money. Even Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez have been underwhelming.

I guess it just shows what a great GM Terry Ryan really was.

14. andrewberg Posted: August 26, 2008 at 04:28 PM (#2916458)

I keep defending Delmon to all of my friends. He is a 22 year old who has hit .290/.335/.426 with 30 XBH's since the end of April. Taking a month to adjust to a new franchise in a drastically different part of the country is not shameful. He's an aggressive hitter, but he's swinging at fewer atrocious pitches lately and he can hit pitches firmly from any part of the strike zone. He almost reminds me of a young Albert (Joey) Belle.

15. Biff isn't really an apt handle anymore Posted: August 26, 2008 at 04:34 PM (#2916464)

In a perverse way, the White Sox-Twins race may backfire on Boston, as both teams are egging each other on and they could well pass the Bosox.

Meh. Even with the Red Sox's current injury problems, I still find it very unlikely that both those teams end up with better records than Boston. I don't even think one of them will.

16. PepTech Posted: August 26, 2008 at 05:38 PM (#2916563)

The only way the Yankees can make the playoffs is if David Stern suddenly becomes MLB Commissioner.

Or Jacques Rogge.

17. Jim Wisinski

Posted: August 26, 2008 at 05:56 PM (#2916578)

I'm rooting for a TB-Min ALCS.

That would be a tough matchup to get, most scenarios play out with the Rays facing the Central winner in the ALDS. I can think of two possibilities off the top of my head.

Rays win AL East but don't have best record, Twins win the wild card.
Rays win wild card, Twins win Central (and don't have best record).

Um, don't they both play in domes?

The Rays have had to cancel four games in their history due to hurricanes in the area, a big enough snowstorm would have the same effect.

18. meatwad Posted: August 26, 2008 at 06:02 PM (#2916586)

rays win the east twins win the central nether has the best record could work as well

19. SoSH U at work Posted: August 26, 2008 at 06:06 PM (#2916591)

rays win the east twins win the central nether has the best record could work as well

No, that sets up a Twins-Rays first-round matchup.

20. SouthSideRyan Posted: August 26, 2008 at 06:22 PM (#2916603)

Rays win East with best record, Twins win division, White Sox win wild card

or

Rays win East, Twins win Central with better record than Angels, Red Sox win wild card.

21. meatwad Posted: August 26, 2008 at 06:31 PM (#2916608)

doh, i have no idea what i was thinking there.

22. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 26, 2008 at 06:35 PM (#2916614)

I keep defending Delmon to all of my friends. He is a 22 year old who has hit .290/.335/.426 with 30 XBH's since the end of April. Taking a month to adjust to a new franchise in a drastically different part of the country is not shameful. He's an aggressive hitter, but he's swinging at fewer atrocious pitches lately and he can hit pitches firmly from any part of the strike zone. He almost reminds me of a young Albert (Joey) Belle.

Yea, don't get me wrong, I think Delmon has a bright future. I just think its pretty amazing what the Twins have done this year, without any of Bill Smith's moves really working this year.

23. McCoy Posted: August 26, 2008 at 06:55 PM (#2916625)

a big enough snowstorm would have the same effect.

You mean a freakishly huge snowstorm would have a similar effect don't you? That would have to be one hell of an act of god to get a major snowstorm in Milwaukee in October and have it be big enough and prolonged enough to cancel games. Milwaukee was the site of the Angels-Indians series when the weather was bad for Cleveland, great series by the way. Can't be 10 bucks a seat for behind home plate.

24. andrewberg Posted: August 26, 2008 at 06:57 PM (#2916628)

Yea, don't get me wrong, I think Delmon has a bright future. I just think its pretty amazing what the Twins have done this year, without any of Bill Smith's moves really working this year.

That's true. Unless you give him credit for Perkins, Blackburn, Baker, Slowey, Span, Casilla, and Buscher all going from prospects with question marks to consistently productive major leaguers under Smith's regime. Coincidence? Um, probably, yes.

25. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 26, 2008 at 07:14 PM (#2916652)

Yea, I kinda doubt Smith had much to do with that other than telling those guys to "play better."

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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

NY Times: Kepner: With Their Hitters Digging in, Yankees Push for the Playoffs

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